I'm just trying to steer the conversation towards monopoly, and away from larceny.

Thieves steal copper cabling all the time. The value to the thieves (as scrap) is a mere fraction of what it's worth to the telecom provider.

If some one grants you a monopoly and you don't have that monopoly any longer, than the monopoly was stolen by those who infringed upon it.

It's not about stealing. It's about infringing on an legally granted monopoly, It's akin to trespass.

Hold it-- lego bricks from the 1970s are still compatible with bricks made today. According to Lego, that's down to extreme quality control. You blame it on patents. Yet a patent only lasts 20 years. So how could a patent be the primary barrier to interoperability, given that the patents should have expired in the Reagan administration, if not before?

here's a source

I don't have a micrometer sensitive enough, and most of my childhood toys are in storage, so someone else will have to confirm.

from your link

Now, if you don't really care about the toy aspect of legos--tiny reconfigurable bricks--
  sure, you can just make a large hunk of plastic to take the place of dozens of bricks-- but that's a different kind of play.

"holds like glue"
  If you apply glue to lego, it'd be less useful.

Lego has a reputation for manufacturing high quality bricks that holds glue yet can be easily dismantled by young hands I'm not sure that you can get that sort of result with 3d printed bricks. After all, Lego has survived without being undercut on price by other manufacturers of plastic toys.

On the other hand, many of Lego's sets are licensed products, with highly specialized pieces that really don't serve a functional role, and may not need the precision tooling that Lego claims is needed to make a strong yet breakable bond.

Sounds as if you are confusing positive liberty with negative liberty.

Is there particular reason why you would choose to group Lego with crappy plastic keychains?

You may have concerns about safety. But the people who subvert the evil tire cartel may not. To attempt to impose your narrow view of "safety" upon others is the very essence of statism.

Kennedy is an Irish name, and there have been more than a few Irish terrorists. Still, the vast bulk of Irishman, including the vast bulk of Kennedys, aren't.

I approve of my own representative in Congress wholeheartedly. But Congress as a whole is a despicable institution, and other people need to vote their representative out. Repeat 435 times, and nothing will change.

I'm kind of attached to my name, for personal reasons. Perhaps I'll change it for matrimonial reasons, but likewise, I'm reluctant to wed unless it's for love.I shouldn't be forced into either choice for bureaucratic reasons.